Transplant survivor Carole Muir: I've been celebrating every day for the last 18 years thanks to my sister's gift of life

THE 49-YEAR-OLD says she can't imagine what life would have been like without Nancy donating her kidney to her in 1996.

Carole and Nancy with Chelsea, the daughter they never thought Nancy would have

SISTER Nancy Shields and Carole Muir share more than just a sisterly bond.

Eighteen years ago, Nancy donated one of her kidneys to Carole.

Now, as the two women prepare to celebrate the landmark anniversary of their double operation, Carole says she cannot imagine how different the last 18 years might have been without her sister’s gift of life.

The women also get to share it with another very special member of the family – Nancy’s 16-year-old daughter Chelsea, the miracle baby born after the organ donation.

Carole, 49, from Glasgow, said: “When Nancy fell pregnant with Chelsea, I think we all did worry about what effect being pregnant might have on her and her one kidney.

“But thankfully, all went well – and I believe Chelsea is Nancy’s wonderful wee reward for doing something so selfless and kind.

“This is the 18th anniversary of the day my sister helped me get my life back. Before the operation, I felt so sick that I struggled to eat, I had no energy and I needed a lot of help looking after my two young children.

“From the day I received Nancy’s kidney, my health improved dramatically.

“Over these last 18 years, I haven’t been the sort of daredevil who jumps out of planes or does bungee jumps but I have had the energy I needed for my family. I went back into education, do a job I enjoy and have even run a 10km race.

“I still feel quite emotional about the fact Nancy gave me one of her kidneys and I can never repay her for what she did. But we can certainly celebrate the landmark 18th anniversary of the gift she gave me.”

Carole first fell ill while pregnant with son Andrew, now aged 28. Tests revealed kidney problems, which caused her blood pressure to become dangerously high, forcing doctors to deliver her baby three months prematurely and weighing less than 3lb. Similar problems followed when Carole fell pregnant for a second time with daughter Carole, now 25.

She was delivered eight weeks early, weighing just over three-and-a-half pounds.

Carole said: “I had to have tests done, which showed I had scarring on my kidney and I was warned it would get worse as I got older and that one day I might need a transplant.”

Over the next few years, doctors continued to monitor Carole’s kidneys as her health deteriorated. In 1995, she was told she needed a transplant and medics prepared her to start receiving kidney dialysis three times a week.

Doctors asked if she had any brothers or sisters who might consider becoming her living donor. All 12 siblings agreed.

Carole, an admin assistant at Coatbridge College, said: “I don’t think the hospital had ever had such a large family of brothers and sisters all turn up to be tested together to see if they could donate a kidney.

“Nancy turned out to be a perfect match. The hospital told me I needed to start dialysis but Nancy wanted to know why she couldn’t donate her kidney straight away.

“In the end, thanks to Nancy’s pushing, I became the first patient in Scotland to receive a donated kidney without first having to undergo dialysis.”

While both sisters felt quite nervous and emotional as they attended Glasgow’s Western General Hospital for the double operations, the experience was much worse for their mum Mary, now aged 86.

Shop assistant Nancy, 58, from Glasgow, said: “Mum couldn’t come to the hospital as two daughters having big operations on the same day was just too much for her.

“I remember Carole coming down to see me the following day. She looked so well and her colour was better. To know that my kidney had helped to make her better so quickly was a wonderful feeling.”

When doctors had talked through the operations with both sisters and their families, there was one subject Nancy never thought of asking them about – having another baby.

At the time Nancy had the operation, she was a 40-year-old mum of three children aged between 14 and 21. But little more than a year after the surgery, she fell pregnant.

She featured in the Sunday Mail after Chelsea’s birth to show the world her miracle baby. And she is now delighted to be an ambassador for being a living donor – proving you can even go on to have children after donating a kidney.

Nancy said: “When I first fell pregnant, I was worried if the operation or only having one kidney might affect things. But the doctors were more concerned by my age than about me having donated a kidney.

“Now, 18 years on, I can honestly say I have never missed my second kidney.”

Carole fundraises regularly for charity Action Medical Research, who help fund a wide range of research into conditions including premature births and kidney disease.

And the sisters plan to celebrate the 18th anniversary of their double operation – which was carried out in January 1996 – by going on a special day out with their daughters.

Carole said: “I’m very lucky that Nancy’s kidney has taken so well in my body.

“I still attend hospital for checks and often meet people who have been through several transplant operations or who have been on dialysis for long periods of time.

“Having had this kidney for 18 years and feeling so well is certainly something to celebrate.”

Previous Articles

NADEEM SIDDIQUI wants politicians to to allow health officials into Scottish high schools to talk to pupils about becoming potential donors as his nine-year-old daughter desperately seeks a transplant which could save her life.